Treasure trove disposition

2/3 of any treasure found to go to the House of Justice (or to trustworthy persons in each locality until the latter is established); 1/3 to go to the discoverer

"Question: Concerning the law on treasure trove.

"Answer: Should a treasure be found, one third thereof is the right of the discoverer, and the other two thirds should be expended by the men of the House of Justice for the welfare of all people. This shall be done after the establishment of the House of Justice, and until that time it shall be committed to the keeping of trustworthy persons in each locality and territory. He, in truth, is the Ruler, the Ordainer, the Omniscient, the All-Informed."

(Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Question and Answer, no. 101)

Summarized by Shoghi Effendi at IV.D.1.u under "Miscellaneous Laws and Ordinances" as "Disposition of treasure trove"

A revenue for the village storehouse

"The storehouse has seven revenues: ...one third of all treasure-trove...".

('Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet dated 4 October 1912 to an individual believer, translation from the Persian in the Economics compilation, sel. 9 (or see Redistribution of Wealth (compilation) no. 9); an earlier translation can be found in "Foundations of World Unity" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1972, pp. 39-40).)

" Fifth [of the revenues for the storehouse], if any treasures shall be found on the land they should be devoted to this storehouse."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet dated 25 July 1919 to an individual believer -- provisional translation from the Persian quoted in the Economics (compilation), sel. 10)

Law not yet binding

""The laws relating to...the u...disposition of treasure trove...are all designed for a future state of society. These matters are usually covered by the civil law of each country."

(Universal House of Justice, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_laws_not_binding )

Note: The apparent inconsistency in amounts between the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Question and Answer amount and the 4 October 1912 Tablet (as well as perhaps the Tablet dated 25 July 1919) might be explained by a statement of 'Abdu'l-Bahá made concerning a matter related to the storehouse, namely the tax or tithe (see Zakát), which states:

"What hath been stated is only an example and this doth not mean that it should be enforced exactly in this manner."

(From a Tablet dated 25 July 1919 to an individual believer -- provisional translation from the Persian quoted in the Economics (compilation), sel. 10)

See also

• storehouse (for the recipient institution of treasure trove funds)
• lost property (for goods found which might belong to someone)
• mines (for the appropriation of discovered natural resources)
• treasure (for the spiritual symbolism of treasures)